


out of the fog

by fabulousfairytales



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: 15x25 divergent, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Injured Levi, M/M, Talking about San Francico, Worried Nico
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-04-06 15:27:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19065403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fabulousfairytales/pseuds/fabulousfairytales
Summary: Levi got hurt in the car pile-up in 15x25. Nico hears about it only hours later.





	out of the fog

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> I was working on this quite some time, so I really hope you'll enjoy it although it got a little cheesy by the end haha.

When Nico finally got out of that OR, all he wanted to do was to lie down and take a quick nap. Sleep had been something he didn’t get enough of in those past two weeks ever since he lost Josh. He tried telling himself that this was normal and nothing to be too concerned about, that his anger will eventually subside and that everything will turn out to be okay again. It was more hoping than anything else.

As he left the OR, he noticed Link already waiting for him in the scrub room and sighed. What, was he now spying on him, ready to jump in in case Nico messed up again?

“What are you doing here?” He asked through gritted teeth, making it a point to let Link know how annoyed he was by everyone babying him. He didn’t need a babysitter. He was good at his job. And Link should know that.

“Nico, uh...” Link started. “Something happened.”

“The big car pile-up on the freeway?” Nico interrupted, now a little more excited. “Yeah, I heard about it. We’ve been called to the ER?”

“Uhm. Not exactly. It’s – Nico. Schmitt was in one of the cars...”

Nico felt like time has stopped. Like the earth stopped spinning and the oxygen vanished, making it harder and harder to breathe. Panic spread through his body and he could feel his heart racing, his breath getting heavier. He swallowed hard and started wordlessly walking towards the ER, completely tuning Link and the world around him.

With every step, he sped up until he was full-on running, not caring for the confused looks that his colleagues were giving him. There was only one thing on his mind. And it was getting to his boyfriend as soon as possible.

When he reached the ER, the first person he saw was Helm. She was tending a guy with a small cut in his forehead. Nico walked over to her.

“Where is he?” He asked, not caring that she was stitching up a patient.

“Dr. Kim.“

“Helm,” his voice was shaking at this point. Why could nobody tell him what had happened to his boyfriend?

“Okay, and we’re done. You’re good to go,” she reassured her patient, ignoring Nico, which just pissed him off more. He huffed out an angry laugh and turned around to ask someone else before he felt her hand on his shoulder.

“Follow me,” she whispered and guided him to a room in the ICU. And there he was. With a bandage wrapped around his head, he looked like he was sleeping and Nico just wanted to know what’s been going on. His mind was jumping from one scenario to the next one, but he knew that he coudln’t allow himself to spin out right now.

“You know I’m not really allowed to tell you what happened, right?”

“Helm I swear –“ He growled.

“But he asked for you,” she interrupted. “Before surgery. So, uh... Dr. Hunt said that his head smashed against the frame of the car and Dr. Shepherd ordered a head CT. We noticed that his brain had already swollen up a bit, so she went into surgery with him, performing a craniotomy to decrease the pressure.”

“Brain surgery?” Nico whispered in disbelief. How could he gone through brain surgery and nobody thought it would be necessary to tell him?

“But everything went well. Dr. Shepherd did her best, as she does and he’s resting now. You can go in if you like. He should be waking up very soon –“

“How long?”

“What?” Taryn frowned in confusion. She was sure that Nico would just storm into the room to hold his hand. Even after that fight that had been going on that Levi had told her about.

“How long. Did you know. That he is here. Like this.”

“I –“

“5 hours.” Link said. Nico turned around, surprised to hear his voice. Link had been following his fellow the whole time, waiting for him to be able to listen to him again.

“5 hours. 5 hours.” Nico huffed out an angry laugh and shook his head. “And nobody thought that maybe they should tell me about it?”

“Nico –“

“Don’t,” he growled before going into the room. Carefully, he closed the door behind him and then just stood in the middle of the room, not knowing what to do before he decided to sit down on the chair next to the bed. His anger immediately subsided when he saw all the cables and tubes that were connected to different monitors and it took him all he got to not just break down and cry at the sight.

Levi, the man who he had fallen for so quickly and who he loved so dearly. He looked so fragile that even with his medical training, he was afraid that he’d hurt him when carefully taking his hand and kissing it softy.

“Hey,” he whispered as he ran his fingers over his boyfriend’s arm.

“I came here as soon as I heard about it. I’m sorry I couldn’t be here earlier...” He trailed off. Hopefully, Levi would wake up soon so that he could apologize and tell him how much he had missed him. He had missed him so much and he couldn’t believe that Levi had to get hurt for him to go and tell him that.

“Levi, please. Wake up. Please wake up, I beg you.”

Not knowing how much time had already passed, he jumped when he heard the door slide open. A woman in her fifties was rushing to the other side of the bed and clasped Levi’s hand.  _This must be his mother_ , Nico thought.

“Oh honey, what have you done?” She sighed and gently caressed Levi’s cheek before she even noticed the man on the other side of the bed watching her. He must be one of her son’s friends.

“I can’t believe he got into a car accident. I was asleep and only woke up a few minutes ago. The second I heard about it, I came over. I know that he can be a little clumsy and that chaos generally gravitates towards him, but this... This is just...” She stopped and looked up at Nico. “I’m sorry. I’m Levi’s mother, Myrna. And you are...?”

“Nico. I’m Nico, m’am. “ He reached over to shake her hand. It was weird. This whole situation was weird. “I – I’m a friend. Of your son. If you want to be alone with him I can... I just...” He let out a small breath to force himself to calm down and think about what he actually wanted to say.

“I didn’t want him to be all alone in here,” he then said. It wasn’t a lie. Maybe he should leave? Let her have a moment with her son. He didn’t want to leave him, but if that’s what his mother wanted... needed –

“You don’t have to leave,” she interrupted his thoughts. “Thank you for staying with him.”

“I - okay.” Nico nodded. He was glad that he could stay. He wanted to be there when Levi wakes up.

“You seem to care about him a lot,” Myrna stated, glancing down at Nico’s hand that was still holding onto Levi’s.

“I - Uh...” His eyes widened and he quickly pulled away his hand, already missing the feeling. “Yes of course. He’s a very good friend,” Nico tried to save himself.

“I’m glad he is. I can only teach him so much. The rest is up to him,” she replied with a tired smile.

Levi took his damn time to wake up.

A few hours later, Nico had noticed him opening his eyes and trying to figure out where he was. After explaining that he had been in an accident and getting him to sit up, his mother hugged him tight, a little too tight for Levi’s liking, but he knew that she just had been worried, so he didn’t mention it. Instead, he was watching Nico watching them.

He could immediately identify the look of worry and fear and all Levi wanted to do at this point was to wrap his arms around him and tell him that he’s okay and that they will be okay too.

But instead, they just exchanged silent glances until Myrna announced that she’ll go to the cafeteria to get her boy and his friend something to eat. Levi threw her a suspicious look, but she was too quick leaving the room to even give him a chance to ask.

Which left him and Nico in the room. With quick strides, Nico crossed the room and threw his arms around Levi before he could even sit down on the edge of the bed. Surprised by this bear hug, Levi inhaled sharply, but eventually wrapped his arms around him too.

“I was so scared,” Nico whispered, “I was in surgery with Webber and when I got out Link told me that you...” He stopped. Carefully caressed his boyfriend’s cheek and leaned his forehead against Levi’s.

“I was so scared,” he repeated.

“I’m sorry,” Levi replied quietly and kissed Nico’s forehead as he ran his hand through Nico’s soft hair.

“It’s not your fault.”

Silence fell between them, but for the first time in days, it wasn’t uncomfortable.  Both of them enjoyed the company of the other. It felt like home.

“Your mom...” Nico began after a while, “She’s great.”

“Yeah she is.” Levi smiled. “Did you tell her…?”

“No. No, I said I’m a friend of yours. I –“ He paused. “I didn’t want to...” Another pause. “It wasn’t my place to tell her.”

Levi pulled away to look at him and nodded quickly. He was right. It wasn’t his task to tell his mother that her son is gay. He wanted to do this himself. He had to do this himself. But maybe Nico could be there. If they can work things out and he wants to be there.

Levi’s hand wandered to Nico’s cheek, his thumb running over the soft skin. He could feel the small scruff poking through his skin. It’s been a stressful couple of days and Levi had missed him. He had missed falling asleep and waking up next to him. He had missed the soft kisses and the even softer cuddles on Nico’s couch as they would watch whatever show that they were binging right now. He had missed being in the same room as Nico without it being awkward or uncomfortable.

He had missed Nico.

“I got a job offer,” Nico broke the silence after a while. “Two, actually. One here and one from San Francisco.” Levi’s thumb stopped moving.

“Oh. Uhm. I’m happy for you,” he said with a forced smile. He really was. Happy. For Nico. But he also was fucking miserable. He didn’t want him to go. Not now, not ever.

“Yeah.”

Silence. What should he even say to that? He knew that Nico would take this job in San Francisco. It was his dream. And he deserves it.

“So... When do you have to leave?” He asked carefully. It hurt. Just thinking of him leaving hurt so, so much that he wanted to get up and run away. Why would he tell him that right now? Was he about to leave that soon?

Nico cocked his head to the side. “I don’t know. Do I have to leave?”

“What?” Levi blinked twice.

“I said do I have to leave?”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

“Why would I?”

Now Levi felt the huge wave of confusion rolling over him. What was Nico saying? That he would stay here if Levi asked him to? No. No, he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t make him stay just because he would miss him. Which he would. A lot.

“I can’t ask you to stay.”

“Why not?”

“I just – It's not fair. San Francisco is your dream.”

“San Francisco  _was_ my dream.”

“If you tell me that now Seattle is your dream –”

“It’s not,” Nico interrupted. “But you are.”

Levi had no answer to that. Instead, he pulled him down onto the bed to lean his head against Nico’s broad shoulder and wrap an arm around his waist.

“Then don’t go,” he whispered, “Please stay.“

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Comments are very much apprechiated! :)
> 
> My tumblr is [orthoglasses](http://orthoglasses.tumblr.com/) so come over if you wanna talk or have a prompt!


End file.
